The Element (TUA story)

The Frankel Footage

Scarlett...

As I planned I got the morning shift. No one questioned why I wasn't in school. I was an excellent student, thanks to my father's torturing lessons that I needed to attend from a fairly young age, and I had the opportunity from school to miss out on classes from time to time to have a little self-study time. This I usually used for training my powers but now, I can use it for hiding from my best friends. They won't come here, at least not as long I will work today. Sure they will come asking for me but once, Mary, the main waitress here, will tell them I was here that would be the only information they will get their hands on. I would be long gone before they would be able to locate where I could've gone. The one slight problem however is lingering in my mind and that is where will I sleep today...I mean I know I have a shift in the morning and that I need to be back at the cafe the next day but Mary would find it suspicious if I'll be here sooner than her again.

You see I made myself a reputation of coming everywhere late so you can imagine the confusion on Mary's face when she saw me behind the counter preparing a fresh coffee in the morning. It was a right shock for her I can only assume that. The end of my shift was nearing and so far it looked like I will be sleeping on the bench somewhere in the park. Lovely thought. I know it is only like lunchtime but you need to think forward don't you.

"Scarlett, I think I can let you off already," Mary said when I finished the order.

"Oh, why?!... I mean my shift is supposed to end in an hour," I reasoned trying to hide my panicked tone. Mary treated me with a warm smile, her wrinkly hand placing itself on my shoulder.

"You worked hard today and you were here long before your shift even started, you deserve some rest. I'll see you tomorrow morning," The elderly lady practically forced me towards the back room before I had any chance to argue. I guess my searching for a place to stay at will have to start sooner. I walked over to my locker, luckily I keep some spare clothes here. I changed from my uniform and into some normal, comfortable clothes. I grabbed a backpack from the locker and stuffed some clothes inside for me to change later. I threw it over my shoulder and exited the room.

"See you tomorrow then," I waved goodbye to my co-workers and I exited the cafe. The streets of Dallas in 1963 aren't as busy as they would be in 2019. It's like a completely different world. A calmer one. With no rush or fear of missing out on something. Very few cars are passing down this street even though it is one of the main ones. The traffic is not as horrid as it is back in our time. In my opinion, these things make this timeline better. But then I see the other side of the calm city. Racism, homophobia and sexism are reaching the highest rankings here. It is unbelievable how people can be so closed-minded.

I know that the situation with these things was never optimal, there always were problems and will be because some people are just not wise enough to accept that everyone is different in some way and that it ain't a sin. But at least in our time, there are more people supporting these matters.

Landing a helping hand and being there for the people that needed it. And people aren't as afraid to reveal their true selves as they are here. True, LGBTQ+ community does have a few closeted people in their ranks still, but here everyone is mainly closeted and they don't plan on stepping out of their closet in a near future.

I am just happy that in our cafe we don't have that horrible sign, whites only. That is just purely wrong and I am lucky the owner of our cafe agrees with me. At first, I was going to ask for a job at this one cafe at the main street but then I saw that sign and backed out immediately. If I would work there I would just burry my own beliefs. And it wouldn't be fair to Allison.

I was brought up in a multicultural household. You can't blame me that I don't care about people's looks and affections. Everyone should be free to express themselves...as long as it is safe for the person and the people around them.